Wallas Eaton (18 February 1917 – 3 November 1995), sometimes credited as Wallace Eaton or Wallis Eaton, was an English

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He is perhaps best remembered for his voice roles between 1949 and 1960 in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

radio-comedy serial ''

Take It from Here ''Take It from Here'' (often referred to as ''TIFH'', pronounced – and sometimes humorously spelt – "TIFE") is a British radio comedy programme broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audie ...

''.

Early life

Eaton was born in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, England. He was educated at the Alderman Newton School, and later would read History and English at

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

. Eaton joined the Army in 1940, and served with distinction during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, eventually becoming a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in charge of a searchlight battery.

Acting career

His first stage appearance was at the Theatre Royal in his home town of

in 1936. Three years later he made his London debut playing the small part of the Announcer in Auden and Isherwood's ''

The Ascent of F6 ''The Ascent of F6: A Tragedy in Two Acts'', by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, was the second and most successful play in the Auden-Isherwood collaboration, first published in 1936. It was a major contribution to English poetic drama in ...

'' at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

. The following year Eaton played the Second Priest in Eliot's ''

Murder in the Cathedral ''Murder in the Cathedral'' is a verse drama by T. S. Eliot, first performed in 1935, that portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during the reign of Henry II in 1170. Eliot drew heavily on the wri ...

'' in 1940 and he followed this with what was his first comedy role, in ''The Body Was Well Nourished'' by

Sidney Gilliat Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. He was the son of George Gilliat, editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1928 to 1933. Sidney was born in the district of Edgeley in Stoc ...

and

Frank Launder Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. Early life and career He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, ...

. In 1944, he appeared in

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

's '' Too True To Be Good'' at the

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

. Eaton enjoyed a series of good, if small, roles, appearing alongside

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

at the Phoenix Theatre in 1945 in

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' — a ...

's ''

The Skin of Our Teeth ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' is a play by Thornton Wilder that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It opened on October 15, 1942, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway on November 18, 194 ...

''. In films, Eaton had a role in '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945). In addition to working on the long-running

radio comedy ''

'', Eaton appeared in more than twenty-five films and over fifty television productions. His debut for

Television was in

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

's top- rated series ''Before Your Very Eyes'' in 1952, and he had parts in the

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

series ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...

'' and '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes''. Eaton's favourite pastime was sailing, and he made a trip to Australia in 1975 to pursue his interest, after which he settled there permanently. He featured in the Australian soap ''

The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983. The series is primar ...

'' in 1979 as Roland Perry, a rich friend of principal character Ada Simmonds. He also made a few appearances in later episodes of the television

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

serial ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera which broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 5 November 1993, airing at 7:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Altogether, 14 seasons and 1,058 episodes were p ...

''.

Personal life

He died in Australia in November 1995, aged 78.

Partial filmography

* ''

Dual Alibi ''Dual Alibi'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Alfred Travers and starring Herbert Lom, Phyllis Dixey and Terence De Marney. It is a film noir.Spicer p.442 It was made by British National Films at Elstree Studios. Synopsis A top French ...

'' (1947) - Court Official (uncredited) * ''

A Man's Affair ''A Man's Affair'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Jay Lewis and starring Hamish Menzies, Cliff Gordon and Diana Decker. It was made as a second feature, and released by Exclusive Films. Both Lewis and most of his crew were former me ...

'' (1949) - Leonard * ''

Dark Interval ''Dark Interval'' is a 1950 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders, starring Zena Marshall, Andrew Osborn and John Barry. Cast *Zena Marshall as Sonia Jordan *Andrew Osborn as Walter Jordan *John Barry as Trevor *John Le Mesurier as ...

'' (1950) * '' Up for the Cup'' (1950) - Barrowboy * ''

Chelsea Story ''Chelsea Story'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Henry Mollison, Sydney Tafler and Ingeborg von Kusserow. Selected cast * Henry Mollison - Mike Harvey * Sydney Tafler - Fletcher Gilchrist * Ingeborg von ...

'' (1951) - Danny * ''

Adventure in the Hopfields ''Adventure in the Hopfields'' is a 1954 British children's film directed by John Guillermin and starring Mandy Miller. It was made for the Children's Film Foundation. Location filming took place in and around Goudhurst in Kent. Plot After acci ...

'' (1954) - Junk Shop Owner * ''Alive on Saturday'' (1957) - Garton * ''

Two-Way Stretch ''Two-Way Stretch'', is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the ro ...

'' (1960) - Gate Warder (Night) * ''

Operation Cupid ''Operation Cupid'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Charles Farrell, Avice Landone and Wallas Eaton. The screenplay concerns a gang of criminals who win a marriage agency during a card game and plan to us ...

'' (1960) - Cecil * ''

This Sporting Life ''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award, it recounts the story of a rugby league footbal ...

'' (1963) - Waiter * ''

Inspector Clouseau Inspector Jacques Clouseau (), later granted the rank of Chief Inspector, is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' farcical ''The Pink Panther'' series. He is portrayed by Peter Sellers in the original series, and also by Alan Arkin in the ...

'' (1968) - Hoeffler * ''

Isadora Isidora or Isadora is a female given name of Greek origin, derived from Ἰσίδωρος, ''Isídōros'' (a compound of Ἶσις, ''Ísis'', and δῶρον, ''dōron'': "gift of he goddessIsis"). The male equivalent is Isidore. The name surviv ...

'' (1968) - Archer * '' Lock Up Your Daughters'' (1969) - Staff * ''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderso ...

'' (1973) - John Stone (Coffee Factory) / Col. Steiger / Prison Warder / Meths Drinker / Film Executive * ''

Mad Dog Morgan ''Mad Dog Morgan'' is a 1976 Australian bushranger film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson (actor), Jack Thompson and David Gulpilil. It is based upon the life of Dan Morgan (bushranger), Dan Morgan. Plot Dan M ...

'' (1976) - Macpherson * ''

Deathcheaters ''Deathcheaters'' is a 1976 Australian action adventure film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith and starring John Hargreaves and Grant Page. Plot Steve and Rodney are two ex-Vietnam commandos who do stunt work for television. They are hired by t ...

'' (1976) - 2nd Police Sergeant * ''

The Last Wave ''The Last Wave'' (also released, in the US, as ''Black Rain'') is a 1977 Australian Mystery film, mystery Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Peter Weir.''Variety Film Reviews, Variety'' film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21. It ...

'' (1977) - Morgue Doctor * ''

Save the Lady ''Save the Lady'' is a 1982 Australian children's film that was made in Tasmania.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p343. The film was financed by the Tasmanian Film Co ...

'' (1982) - Trotter * ''

Goodbye Paradise ''Goodbye Paradise'' is a 1983 Australian film directed by Carl Schultz. The plot centres on Queensland's Gold Coast in the early 1980s, when a disgraced former cop, Michael Stacey (Ray Barrett) writes a book exposing police corruption, does an ...

'' (1983) - Clyde * ''

Undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

'' (1984) - Mr. Breedlove * ''

Annie's Coming Out ''Annie's Coming Out'' (also known as ''A Test of Love'') is a 1984 Australian drama film directed by Gil Brealey. It is based on the 1980 book ''Annie's Coming Out'' which was written by Rosemary Crossley, with the assistance of Anne McDonal ...

'' (1984) - Dr. Rowell * ''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to s ...

'' (1985) - Voice * ''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

'' (1986) - Voice * ''

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

'' (1989) - Grassmore

References

External links

* * Palmer, Howard (10 August 1965
"Hilarious Night"
''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' (''via'' ''

Google News Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google rel ...

''). Accessed 2015-09-19. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Wallas 1917 births 1995 deaths English expatriates in Australia English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors People from Leicester Male actors from Leicestershire 20th-century English male actors British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery officers Military personnel from Leicester